Michelle Rodriguez fighting again

Michelle Rodriguez is back in fighting shape. The Fast and the Furious star, 32, plays tech sergeant Elena Santos in Battle: Los Angeles, an action movie about a Marine unit battling aliens bent on taking over the earth. The film, which opens Friday, co-stars Michael Peña, who appeared with her on the red carpet at the Miami premiere at the Regal South Beach Monday night.

fter encountering blue extraterrestrials in Avatar, the Texas hottie wanted to make sure these creatures were on target before she signed on. “What I wanted to know was, ‘What are these aliens going to look like, and what is the reveal?’” said Rodriguez from The Loews Miami Beach Hotel. “If you have a corny alien., then some corny lines, people are gone.’’ Fortunately, these robot-like spacemen were realistic – disgustingly so. “The art department did an impeccable job; they were gnarly,’’ said Rodriguez, whose character stands by during a dissection scene.

“They were all gooey, very KY Jelly. It was like Silicone Valley in there!’’ Another draw for Rodriguez was getting to work with South African director Jonathan Liebesman (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning).

Talk about attention to detail. “I saw his vision – it wasn’t blow-up-every-major-site-in-Los Angeles-type deal,’’ she said. “I was floored by his video game type perspective and intimate storytelling’’